I am stuck, Lord, on your hook.I’ve been wriggling there, curled up,for the past twenty-six yearsalluringly, and yetthe line has never gone taut.It’s now clearthere are no fish in your river.Lord, if you still have hopes,choose some other worm. Beingamong the electhas been beautiful. All the same,what I’d just like to do, right now,is dry off and loll about in the sun.

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

Jesus replied, “I assure you that you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate all the food you wanted.Don’t work for the food that doesn’t last but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Human One will give you. God has confirmed him as the agent to give life.”

They asked, “What must we do in order to accomplish what God requires?”

Jesus replied, “This is what God requires, that you believe in him whom God sent.”

They asked, “What miraculous sign will you do, that we can see and believe you? What will you do?Our ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, God gave them bread from heaven to eat.”

Jesus told them, “I assure you, it wasn’t Moses who gave the bread from heaven to you, but God gives you the true bread from heaven.The bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

They said, “Sir, give us this bread all the time!”

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Let us breathe in and smell the sweet fragrance of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Let us touch the hearts of others to bring them closer to you.

Let us taste your body and blood, so we may believe in the peace that comes from your healing grace.

Open our eyes, so we may see the beauty and glory of your endless love.

Open our ears, so we may hear your words and share the truth of your everlasting promise.

Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

O Divine Womb,
birthing forth the river of blessing which runs through all,
Soften the ground of our being,
and hallow in us a space for the planting of thy presence.
In our depths, sow thy seed with its greening-power
that we might be midwives to thy Reign.
Then, let each of our actions
bear fruit in accordance with thy desire.
Impart to us the wisdom to bring forth the gifts of the earth
and share them daily according to the needs of each being,
And restore that which has been usurped
by injustice to its rightful owners,
as we restore to others that which is not our own.
Do not let us be seduced
by that which would divert us from our purpose,
but make us sensitive to the moment at hand.
For from thy fertile soil is born the creativity,
the life-energy, and the dance,
from birthing to birthing. Ameyn.